In asking for his motion, McLin pointed to "an alarming lack of openness between council and the public, and between the president, borough manager and the rest of council."

McLin made his comments at a council meeting focused mostly on the recent controversial library lease. But whatever you think of the library deal, McLin had the temerity to articulate in public what many people are reluctant to say openly: That Hanover needs to open the process of local government to the people of the borough.

McLin's motion went nowhere, at least for now. Councilwoman Heidi Hormel made a motion to nominate a new council leader, just as Borough Council President Gerken said the motion was not allowed under ordinance. But whatever its legal status, McLin's motion died for lack of a second.

After the meeting, McLin said he expected someone else to second the motion, but by the time he realized what was happening, Gerken had already said the motion had died for lack of a second.

"It was a pure and simple mistake," he said. "There will be a reorganization meeting in January and this leadership issue will be addressed again."

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We hope it won't have to wait that long, because for too long the borough has considered itself unaccountable to the public. And the handful of members with the courage to break ranks with tight-lipped public unanimity have found themselves ostracized by their elected peers.

We can only hope the election next month produces some successful write-in candidates who share McLin's belief that the public's business ought to be discussed in public.

And CHEERS to Park Service police, who did nothing to interfere with this little outdoor exercise in free speech. Case law doesn't suggest the protesters have much legal right to trespass on "federal" property, but the Park Service certainly didn't want to make a federal case of this. It's certainly hard to imagine a more sympathetic set of defendants than veterans and local folks who want to sing the National Anthem at the Pennsylvania Monument. And lord knows the administration is already getting plenty of well-deserved heat for this silly, short-sighted closure of our national parks. JEERS, on the other hand, to those on social media who suggested The Evening Sun should ignore the story and instead point fingers at Republicans in Washington. We are happy to JEER those GOP lawmakers whose intransigence "shut down" the government, at least the parts most people care most about, like the parks. That kind of "take your ball and go home" politics should have gone out with the Civil War. But the park issue shouldn't be about ideologies -- it was a bad idea no matter whose it was. Besides, we'll CHEER free speech on either side of the political divide.